Dislike
by Pepe Le Pew
Summary: We don't get a long. We never have. Probably never will. I hate her guts and she hates me just because. But it feels like I'm the only one that sees there's something wrong with her." What if you have to save someon you don't like? Next Gen Ninja
1. A mother's choice

**I've realized that I'm much better at writing drabble like fics...or in basic, short chaptered fic. Kakashi and Sakura's among the main pairings, but more in consideration about their kids. This whole fic is dedicated to awesome-leaf-kunoichi. And thanks for her helping out with things.**

**Hope you enjoy, and leave a little review....tell me what you think.**

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Sakura stood quietly in the bathroom of her apartment. Her world was changing. Changing into the views of a mother.

From now on she couldn't think for just herself. She had to think for a little baby as well. Someone who was yet to learn to think for themselves. She needed to make decisions that would support this child, would make this child grow into a strong and reasonable person.

She wasn't sure if she wanted her unborn child to grow with the views she had grown. She wasn't sure if she wanted her child to grow up in Konoha.

There was a simple reason for that. Did she really want her child to grow up and become friends with the children of her friends and live the same life she did? Did she really want her child to grow with the views that Konoha created?

She wanted her child to be able to see someone and think that they were a possible friend. Not with how they had grown. Not with what they had done to Naruto and later Gaara. To any strange and not exactly normal person. And as much as she hated to say this, but that is what Konoha had done.

And while Konoha was still out of Naruto's reach, that was what it was going to stay.

She nodded to herself, threw the test away and washed her hands. She walked back to the kitchen, signed the approval form and wrote a quick letter to Kakashi.

She told him that accepting this promotion was the best choice for her. That becoming a jounin medic and teaching the Suna medic-nins was what she wanted.

She didn't tell him about the baby.

She smiled at the thought of him. She loved him. It had taken her a while to figure out what she felt for sensei wasn't exactly what one should. But to her it hadn't matter. She loved him still.

She would always love him.

He was tired though. It had been so long since she last saw him peaceful. It had taken her ages to get him to just sleep and not wake up every hour to check if she was still next to him. It had surprised her by how little sleep he actually got.

She kneeled down next to him, kissed him softly on the lips and left the letter on his chest.

She packed all her clothes into one of the storage scrolls and some other things and left the apartment. Tsunade handed her transfer papers to her and hugged her in manner of saying goodbye.

She said bye to them all and left the village.

Going to Suna was the best choice for both her and the baby.


	2. A mother's need

She stood quietly and watched as the wind blew another dust cloud in the distance. She didn't know how to tell him. It's been months since coming to this godforsaken country and she couldn't find it in her to be happy here.

She hated it.

She loved him.

She didn't want to bring up a child in this country. There was nothing here for a child. Nada. She wanted to bring her child up where she had been comfortable. She wanted to go back to green trees and warm rainy summers. She wanted a life she could remember. One she had loved!

She wanted Konoha.

She wanted to see her brother again. She missed Sasuke. As surprising as that was. But it was possible.

But she loved Gaara more than anything. He saved her from the Akatsuki, from Itachi's control. He had understood her need to be saved.

She sighed softly, closing her eyes against the burning behind them. She didn't want to take away his right of knowing his child. But a mother cannot raise a child in a place she is unhappy with. It wasn't possible.

She turned around and watched him as he went through another 'important' meeting with Kankuro. The latter just wanting to tell him all about his new wife, she was sure.

Haruka took a deep breath.

Telling him shouldn't be too hard. He knew she loved him.

She sighed and shook her head. Her need to leave was as great as her need to stay with him. Her need to leave and stay with him was outweighed with the need to give her child a happy, yet stable home.

She cringed as the sand blew behind her through the empty streets below.


	3. A father's pain

**Again, not much to say. **

**Enjoy and leave a review!**

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Kakashi stood silently, staring at the letter he had found on his chest. Kind of contradicting, isn't it. She says she loves him, but needs to leave.

How does one need to leave, if one loves someone? Makes no sense. Promotion had never been Sakura's game. She had been serious considering not taking the promotion. Why so suddenly take it?

He shook his head. He was not going after her. If she had wanted that, she'd have not left a note saying where she was going. This was probably just one of those 'you did something wrong, and I'm going to throw a tantrum and come back later' things. After all she was still young. Ten years his junior. Very young. Eighteen.

Far too young some would say, but screw them and everyone on their street.

He shook his head, dropped the note on the table next to the couch and walked to the bathroom. He splashed some cold water onto his face and grabbed around for the towel, cursing softly when he heard it drop into the bin. He pulled it out of the bin, heard the clatter of something on the floor and dried of his face.

He gazed intently at the small stick on the floor. The little pink plus gazing back at him. A pregnancy test.

He felt everything inside him go crushing to bits. He had never wanted to be a father, but the idea of having a child that he wasn't supposed to know of.

Sakura had been pregnant and hadn't told him.


	4. A father's understanding

**He might be a teensy bit not so well in the head, but all in all Gaara's a good man most of the time. So I figured if there was a problem, he'd understand, after all, he doesn't have crazy rackoon living in his head anymore.**

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He watched her closely. He always did. The way she moved, the way she spoke, the way she did things. All were done so elegantly. Of course he couldn't forget her heritage, but he knew her elegance had nothing to do with heritage.

She wasn't happy in Suna. She didn't like Suna.

He assumed if one grew up in a place like Konoha and travelled to places like that cave place, one wouldn't like the barren lands of Suna.

He hated seeing her unhappy. For once in his life he understood what love was.

It was doing something one knew would hurt one for another. He loved her. He hadn't married her because it was deemed right. He loved her and their unborn child. He knew she wouldn't keep the child from him.

He understood that. But he also understood her need to leave this place. That being here was only going make her unhappy and eventually their child. Children could feel what their mothers felt. He was sure of it.

He watched as she walked with a smile into the living room, gazing intently at the one or other baby magazine.

If she was going to leave it had better be now. In all honesty, even now was a bad time. She was already three months along.

"Go." He said simply.

"What?" She asked stopping.

"Go to Konoha. I'll visit you when I can. And I'll be there when the baby is born." He said going back to his reading.

She was silent for a long time. So long, in fact, that he had wondered if she understood what he was saying to her. "Thank you, Gaara." She said softly, eventually.

He nodded. He was already smirking in his head. Two bodyguards will go with her. One for her and one for the child, and not because he didn't trust Konoha. But because he trust them to know what would happen if his wife and child were to get hurt on their land.


	5. A Spring Day

**I do hope that I described the day for all's imagination well. **

**Enjoy and review!  
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The morning Isuzu Sabaku had been born it was one of the most beautiful in Konoha. She was born just as the sun rose. The beautiful peach colours were coating the sky and casting a near pink orange hue across everything. The treetops had swayed in a gentle yet warm breeze breezed cheerful and bright fragrances into the room. The flowers had seemed to have gone into bloom and the birds were singing with joy.

Nothing about the day had been anything but beautiful.

The birth itself had gone without trouble. A healthy baby girl had been born nine hours after going into labour. Isuzu had been born at five thirty that morning. And the rest of the day couldn't have been any better.

Nothing could stop Haruka from thinking that this was probably the best sign in the world. She smiled softly down at the baby girl with the soft pale teal colored eyes, eyes just like Gaara's. She softly brushed a hand over the already darkened tuft of hair.

She was their baby.


	6. Stormy Weather

Kakashi tried to ignore the screams from the room next door to the hall. He favoured his attention on the storm raging outside. Suna's streets were becoming muddy and would probably not be in use for a while.

Lighting flashed across the sky. The desert became cold during the winter. Icy, in fact, it was damn well brutal. And now it was raining as well. Lighting flashed across the sky again. He clenched his fists. Two doctors had gone in by now. Tsunade was there as well, Sakura having insisted upon that.

He let the grip on his fingers go, dropping his hand before clenching it again. But things were complicated now. What he knew of childbirth was even more dangerous than what he knew of assassination, so he didn't know what was really happening. But he wasn't stupid, something was wrong.

That or the fact that it was raining and storming and just over all making life difficult for everyone was a sign. That the troubling weather was the only sign he could go on? And he didn't believe in superstitious signs. What was this supposed to say anyway?

That his kid was going to be troubled?

Bullshit.

This was his baby girl. His girl, damnit! There won't be anything troubling about her.


	7. Birth Registry

**Some of the pairings probably won't make sense, but I like being weird and there aren't a lot of girls to pair up with the guys, so most of them have OC characters that won't feature much. Very little. The Kids are all OC characters, obviously and this story will go mainly around Zuzu, daughter of Gaara and Sora daughter of Kakashi.**

**Not much to enjoy, just basic info, but still, leave a thought.**

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Konoha Birth registry:

Mikari Hyuuga: September 3 (Daughter of Neji Hyuuga and Tenten)

Levi Hyuuga: June 4 (Son of Neji Hyuuga and Tenten)

Karura Uzumaki: October 11 (Daughter of Naruto Uzumaki and Temari Sabaku)

Minato Uzumaki: October 11 (Son of Naruto Uzumaki and Temari Sabaku)

Hiro Umino: January 3 (Son of Iruka Umino and Anko Mitarashi)

Kaido Rock: March 9 (Son of Lee Rock)

Hana Inuzuka: July 8 (Daughter of Kiba Inuzuka and Hinata Hyuuga)

Kaiba Inuzuka: August 7 (Son of Kiba Inuzuka and Hinata Hyuuga)

Isuzu Sabaku: April 3 (Daughter of Gaara Sabaku and Haruka Uchiha)

Hikaru Uchiha: February 15 (Son of Sasuke Uchiha and Ino Yamanaka)

Mikoto Uchiha: April 23 (Daughter of Sasuke Uchiha and Ino Yamanaka)

Shikaro Nara: May 29 (Son of Shikamaru Nara)

Cho Akimichi: November 30 (Daughter of Chouji Akimichi)

Rei Sarutobi: September 24 (Son of Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuuhei)

Shiro Aburame: June 26 (Son of Shino Aburame)

Akane: July 7 (Daughter of Sai)

Suna Birth Registry:

Kazuki Sabaku: 5 April (Son of Kankuro Sabaku)

Kame Sabaku: 9 May (Daughter of Kankuro Sabaku)

Sora Hatake: 12 December (Daughter of Kakashi Hatake and Sakura Haruno)


	8. Defeat

**This is not even nearly a drabble, but it is Zuzu's first chapter. I'm technically not officially back, I'm working on something personal, but I'm a little stuck, so this helps. Enjoy. This is to every who has reviewed and so on and such. **

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_Twelve years later:_

Zuzu Sabaku sprinted down the street to the Ninja Academy. She was late. Iruka-sensei was going to have a cat because she was late, but that was ok. As long as she was still got her sensei, she was happy.

She crashed through the gate, skidding into the building, slid to a stop in front of the class door and opened it, hoping to sneak past the older man. She closed the door with a quiet click and snuck, crawling, up to her seat between her best friend and cousin. Rei just smirked at her, nodding his head towards the silent teacher up front.

"You are late, Zuzu." Iruka-sensei said, not even looking up from his clipboard. She heard a snicker and glared down at her two Uchiha cousins. Hikaru and Mikoto. Uncle Sasuke would say she was spoilt, but those two topped the charts. Hell they weren't even on the charts. With a snap daddy gets them whatever they want.

She grinned brightly. She had never been anything like her parents. Her father was stoic and barely ever showed expression and her mother was often more calm and collected and only barely showed more emotion than her father. She guessed living on the same compound grounds and Uncle Naruto and Minato made her a little louder than the average Sabaku kid. "Sorry, Sensei!" She apologized quickly.

He said nothing, just shook his head lightly. Zuzu grinned and flashed Rei a thumb's up. She gazed around the room. Hiro, half psychotic and ingeniously smart, was sleeping soundly in his desk. She liked him. He was a good kid, with a smart head on his shoulders and an excellent ninja. She guessed it helped having the legendary Kakashi Hatake as a godfather. And he was definitely crazy.

Next to Hiro, sitting pin straight and gazing intently at Iruka-sensei, was the ever-proper Karura Uzumaki. There have been many times that she and Karura have been mistaken for siblings. They both looked a lot like Aunt Temari. Not that anyone would dare call Karura anything close to an Uchiha. If there was one thing she couldn't stand it was, them! Zuzu was half glad she didn't really count as an Uchiha, her last name being Sabaku and all.

Levi Hyuuga, sat next to her, tapping his fingers lazily to some beat only he could hear. He was nothing like his 'stick up the ass' father. Definitely far more like his mother. But he fought like his dad. He was their number one rookie of the year.

A light scowl crossed her face. Speaking of number on rookies. The only reason he was Konoha's number one rookie of the year was because of a certain obnoxious 'I'm better than everyone else' Hatake was not going to their country's school. Zuzu could say with all honesty, if there was one person she wouldn't mind not ever seeing again, it was Sora Hatake. She really did think she was better than everybody else.

And the worst of it: She was ranked amongst the top five best genin in all five the major countries. In fact she was the Wind country's top rookie.

Zuzu couldn't deny that she deserved the title. She was good. In fact, she was better than just good.

Still didn't mean Zuzu was going to even attempt liking the girl. She's had far too many occasions where the girl made it impossible to respect her.

She shuddered. The Chuunin exams were maybe four months away. She'd really hate to think what the damnable girl would do if she made Chuunin and Zuzu didn't. Sora would probably just be a damn brat about it.

She huffed. Vowing herself to make sure that trained hard for the exams.

"Alright. Yesterday I gave you the names of those who will be in teams together. Today you get to meet your sensei." Iruka-sensei said quieting them down by just speaking.

"Team one," this team consisted of Kaido Rock, Mikari Hyuuga and Akane, "your sensei will be Genma Shiranui."

"Team two," this team was Shikaro Nara, Cho Akimichi and Hikaru Uchiha (he went into the Yamanaka clan's bloodline more prominently, but was also learning how to use the Sharingan) "your sensei will be Asuma Sarutobi."

"Team three," Hana Inuzuka (her mom's bloodline), Kaiba Inuzuka (his dad's), Shiro Aburame and Mikoto Uchiha (they were the only five man cell), "your sensei will be Kurenai Yuuhei."

"Team four," this was her team. Isuzu, Rei and Minato. "your sensei will be Shikamaru Nara."

Her face fell. He couldn't be serious? Mister Lazy ass ninja? How was she supposed to defeat Sora in the Chuunin exams like that?

"Team five," Hiro, Karura and Levi Hyuuga "your sensei is Kakashi Hatake."

Zuzu sighed and shook her head. Well, at least her sensei wasn't going to be two hours late for a time he set. Hers might just simply not show up.

She sighed in defeat.


	9. Dangerous

**Hiya, enjoy everone! And review!**

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An ear-piercing scream travelled through the air, a loud cracking having preceded it a moment before.

Kankuro froze, not sure if he knew who it belonged to or not. He hated being a sensei and he was going to KILL Gaara for making him one.

And why the hell do all bad guys run? Why can't they just stay and fight and face they're possibly dead future? Why did they have to run into the damn largest canyon near Suna? He hated this.

He was going to murder Gaara for deeming his team, of two weeks, ready for an A-rank mission.

Two bodies dropped next to him, Kazuki and Kame. They were safe. Good. Another crack travelled through the air, no scream followed this one. Sora?

Kazuki glanced up at him. He hated being the sensei to his own kids. It made it so much harder to be objective about it. And he hated being the sensei of one of his friend's kids as well.

He couldn't figure the kid either.

But he needn't worry about that now! "Let's go." He ordered, going in the direction closest to where they had heard the resounding crack.

He knew they found it when the smell of charred flesh burned through the air. When he heard the electricity zing through the air. He stopped, skidding and balancing himself on the edge of the canyon wall and looking into the valley below.

Seven. All of which were dead. Electrocuted. The ground looked burned. She had used that jutsu. Dead centre of all the chaos Sora was. One hand was clutched around a sword Hatake had given her for her seventh birthday and the other around the scrolls that had been stolen from Gaara's personal vault. Suna scrolls he kept near him at all times.

The mission had been simple actually. Find and retrieve…kill only when needed.

"Shit. Sora!" He yelled, jumping down. The sand was warm. "Sora! Respond!"

She turned to him. Her dark eyes held no emotion. It was a look he'd often seen in her. Bland disinterest about what's going on around her. It worried him. She's looked like this since she was pretty young. Six or seven. He couldn't quiet remember. About the same time her intense dislike for human company started. "Mission accomplish, the scrolls have been retrieved." By the book and rule abiding.

She threw him the scrolls and walked away. Her two teammates gazed after her much like he did.

There was something dangerous about that kid. And it worried him that he couldn't figure out what it was.


	10. Hacking

**Next chappie for you. Enjoy**

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Zuzu sat on the grassy hill. She'd convinced Minato and Rei that today they would force sensei into training them something. It had been two weeks since they started on this and yet, they were still not doing anything. So today they were going to make him teach them something.

She was certain two weeks of doing nothing, but cutting grass (and not even for a mission) with old hatchets had a meaning, but she wanted something better. Really better.

They had been told to meet him on the grassy hill, which didn't look on bit less grassy since they've been working on it with the hatchets, and wait until sensei arrives.

"Oi! Up and at 'em!" A lazy voice called behind them.

Zuzu jumped up, ready to state her case. She was not prepared to have a wooden staff thrown into her hands. "If you're not done by the end of Sunday night we don't start on the Kunai or Chakra. So go. Hack away with the staff, swift motions right to left." She stared at him. He was actually giving them only two more days to finish this? Was he insane? "Go, you don't have time to waste." He dropped down and lay back staring at the clouds.

Hacking. Of. Grass. Was. Going. To. Be. The. Death. Of. Her.


	11. Shaking

**Just a little insight to Sora. She is infact human. **

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Her hands were shaking. The water dripping from them, but still she couldn't force herself to stop shaking. The whole compound was silent. She remembered growing up in this compound.

Her mother was working night shift. The light at the Kazekage tower told her that Gaara-sama was working. Dad was asleep.

He'd come visiting. And he brought Sabaku with him. There was only one reason Gaara-sama would show emotion. For his wife and that brat he called a kid. A pain in the ass more like it.

She silently walked out of the bathroom and back into her room. She dressed quickly and snuck outside. Doing all of this very quietly in case her dad woke up. He slept far too lightly for her liking. Her mother slept like a rock, he seemed to hover a hair's breadth between awake and asleep.

She sighed as the cold Suna breeze tugged at her hair. "Kame talked about it, you know?" She spun around, hand dropping to the pouch she kept near at all times.

She narrowed her eyes but relaxed slightly. Just the pain in the ass, no one important or dangerous. She watched as slight anger flashed behind the girl's eyes. In that manner of feeling insulted that Sora wasn't on alert anymore. "What do you want?" She asked coldly.

Zuzu shrugged. "Nothing. It's more along the lines of what _you_ need. I don't imagine killing people can feel good." Sora narrowed her eyes at the older girl.

"My business is my own. I don't need you or anyone else. I'm fine." She sneered.

Zuzu studied her for a moment, then shrugged. "If you say so." She turned to go. Sora sighed and looked at her hands.

They were shaking again.


	12. Distracted

**Enjoy! **

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Zuzu stood on top of the roof, watching the girl below her. The fact that Sora thought she had actually left was enough of an indication that she wasn't herself.

Zuzu was smarter than the girl below thought. The fact that those men had died while she was trying to protect her country had only triggered something she had tried to keep to herself. Whatever it was, Zuzu wanted to know.

Not because she was nosy or wanted to throw it in Sora's face, but because she wanted to help. Help was what Sora needed. Really needed.

She scowled, wondering why people hadn't seen this before. Why _she_ had missed it before. It would be pointless to fight Sora in the Chuunin exams if her head wasn't even in it. Zuzu was certain that they both could land in the finals without having their heads in it, but she wanted a real, honest fight. Not a distraction.

She knew that unless Sora said something, she was going to get a distraction instead of a fight. They'd all be going back tomorrow to enter the Chuunin exams.

She sighed and watched, even from this distance she could see the younger girl's hands shake.

She frowned.

Sora's never been distracted from her ideals before.


	13. Help

**Awesomeleafkunoichi (I think I just spelt your name wrong, Sorry!) this one is especially for you. And your patience with me and my slow updating!**

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Sora kept a brisk pace in front of the people behind her. The sooner they got to Konoha, the soon this godforsaken joke could be over. The only ones she even had an interest in fighting was the annoying brat with them and the Hyuuga prodigy.

The rest would only be a waste of her time. And she didn't enjoy the thought of her time being wasted. She had far too many important things to do than allow some over confident idiot to get in her way.

She was quite sure she'd be able to do this on her own. She didn't need her sensei and she sure as hell didn't need the two who considered themselves her teammates. The annoying doll playing moron and his overly excited sister. Sora wasn't even sure what the hell the girl could do. Or what she considered herself worth doing.

"Hey, Hatake!" Sora clenched her hands and set her mouth in a firm line. Her moment of weakness had given Sabaku some idea that she has some right to her life. No one had a right to Sora's life.

She ignored the girl. Zuzu half jogged to keep up with her. They both ignored their mothers telling them not to go too far ahead. What did they think they were? Sora wondered. Children with no idea of what went on the world? They were ninja! They knew what they were doing.

The shouts and demands for them to stay closer disappeared as they went further. "What, Sabaku?" She snapped.

"Everyone does something they regret, you know." She said. Her tone suggested that she wanted Sora to talk about the mission. Sora glanced at her. She already talked about the mission. She talked about it with her father. And she told him that she was fine, because those men deserved to die for attacking her country.

She had no problem with destroying those who want to harm her country. "I don't have things I regret. A good and powerful Shinobi will not regret saving his or her country. Are you suggesting that I should be regretting saving the secrets of my country?" She snapped and stopped, facing the girl.

Zuzu studied her. "I just think that there's something wrong with you. That you need help. Everyone needs help once in a while."

Sora reacted faster than she expected. The words echoed around her head as she quickly slipped her hand around the girl's neck, swiped her feet from under her and slammed her down into the ground. The force she used cracked the dried out pathway. "If I wanted help, I'd have asked. And it sure as hell wouldn't have been from the likes of you." She said coldly into the girl's face. He grip tightened.

"Sora!" She slammed Zuzu down by her neck again and walked away, ignoring her mother's demands to come back immediately.

She didn't need help. Not from anyone and definitely not from Isuzu Sabaku!


	14. Wrong

**Enjoy. Thank you to all of you who reviewed and those who left advise!**

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Zuzu looked at the blue sky. Her head hurt and she was sure it was bleeding. Head wounds always looked worse than they were.

Her mother suddenly blocked her view of the sky. Her father helped her up. Sakura-san checked her wounds and through all this, all she could see was the flash of pain through Sora's eyes the moment she said she needed help.

Zuzu didn't know why she thought Sora couldn't ask for help. That for some reason she has to decline it. But a good ninja never leaves a comrade behind. A good ninja helps their comrades no matter what.

She couldn't help but wonder why Sora is so afraid to ask for help. What was wrong in her life that she won't be able to ask for it? And how can the daughter of Kakashi Hatake ever have something wrong in her life? That's not even possible. Sora Hatake couldn't have something wrong in her life. It just wouldn't make sense.

She's Sora Hatake. Sora Hatake's life was perfect. She was the number one rookie in Wind and she sure as hell was stronger than Zuzu had expected. But that makes it even more a challenge.

Zuzu wondered for a moment if it wouldn't be better for her to be distracted. She's strong enough as it is. Zuzu shook the thought from her head. She wanted and honest fight.

There was something wrong with that girl. And Zuzu was the only one seeing it. "I'm so sorry. She's not normally like this." Sakura-san said.

Zuzu narrowed her eyes in anger. She's not normally like this? She's never like this. Sora doesn't give Zuzu the time of day. There was something wrong and they couldn't see it. She pushed the older woman away and stormed off in a huff.

She was going to find out what the hell was wrong with Hatake.


	15. Represent

**Enjoy**

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Naruto grinned at the two girls in his office. Normally he could at least get a crack out of Zuzu, but Sora had always been hard to amuse. The younger of the two gazed out of the window like she was bored.

Dark.

That was the only explanation Naruto had for the child. He often teased that Sora was probably Sasuke's off spring. She was cold and dark and destructive. Kankuro had recounted what had happened on his team's first A Rank mission with angered relish.

His Sasuke comment often got him a dirty look from Sakura, after which she would firmly reassure him that Kakashi is in fact Sora's father. Kakashi never said anything about it. He would only look worried for a minute then pretend not to care. Naruto knew that this was not because of the Sasuke comment. He knew the man better than many thought he did. Sora was his kid. Konoha and Suna alike had files stating this to be true.

"Ok, ladies, you have to decide. Which country are you representing? I mean you guys are from both Suna and Konoha. You can't represent both. Remember, if you pass the exam you will forever be connected to the country you chose today. No more double country." He explained.

They had been the exceptions. Their parents lived split up. They graduated from both academies and became genin ninja for both countries only because they had spent six months of the year in both academies, many complained about this, but not many pointed it out. Zuzu was the daughter of the Kazekage, Sora the daughter of Konoha's Copy nin, off springs of the some of the most powerful men alive, no one dared say anything. While Zuzu mostly took Konoha missions, she has taken a Suna mission while visiting her father before. Sora has done the same.

"Suna." Sora's answer was quick and without hesitation. She didn't even need to think about it. Naruto was slightly disappointed. He was Hokage now, therefore he thought in the direction of what would be good for his country, that child would've been great for his country.

He nodded and wrote it down. He could not force her to make a different decision.

"Konoha." Zuzu said after much thought. A flash of disappointment across Gaara's face told him he had hoped for a different answer. But it was clear that he was pleased to have Sora Hatake represent his country.

Naruto decided to be smug about it. If Gaara could be happy with Hatake's choice, he was going to be extremely happy with Sabaku's choice. Zuzu wasn't weak. She was brilliant in fact, she just needed a little work around the edges, and Shikamaru was brilliant with that.


	16. Notice

**Enjoy**

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Zuzu dragged her self out of bed. In a couple of more days they would be going off to the first exam of the chuunin exams. She had been so excited about it for months, but she found herself less excited and more worried the closer the time came. She felt like something bad was going to happen. She couldn't explain it.

Breakfast was a huge affair, everyone as finally together again, the Uzumakies, Uchihas and Hatakes were at it. Or at least every one of the Hatakes were present, but Sora. She sighed and sat down next to Minato who glanced at her.

She glowered at her food through most of it and didn't eat much. She sighed darkly and looked up, straight at her father. "How do you help someone, who doesn't want your help?" She asked.

Her dad was silent for a long time, as most of the table. "What sort of problem does this person have?" He asked in his quiet tone.

She thought about it and realized she didn't know. Sora was hiding it or at least overshadowing it with something. She couldn't say if it was the attack on Suna and that fact that Sora had killed for the first time or something else. "I don't know really, I just know it's there." She answered eventually.

"You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped, Zuzu-baby." Her mom said quietly.

Zuzu scowled at them. They were supposed to be the grownups, they were supposed to have noticed it by now, yet they sat there as if everything was alright. "You try." She snapped. "You try and you fight because that's what a good ninja does. We don't just fight and kill and destroy for our countries, but we help those who need us." She pushed her chair away and stalked upstairs.

She was going to kill Sora. The girl was causing her to argue with her family.


	17. Silence

**Thanks to everyone who has been reading my story. This is for all of you. Enjoy**

* * *

Sora watched as the sky turned a purplish/pinkish orange from the top of the Hokage monument. She enjoyed the silence. It was thick around her. Welcoming. She knew sooner or later people would start mulling about; her parents would go to that blasted breakfast invite from Naruto-sama.

That was probably why she woke up early and left before her mother or father could stop her. She didn't want to go to any breakfast where Sabaku or any Uzumaki child would be present. While Karura wasn't as loud as her brother, she still had a temper and a mouth on her, she could still get too loud.

And she had no intentions of having another 'help' discussion with Sabaku. She didn't need help, she could solve her problems on her own. She didn't need Sabaku getting mixed up in her business.

She didn't need Sabaku to know what she had gotten herself into.


	18. Question

**First exam**

**enjoy!**

* * *

Zuzu watched as genin were evicted from the first test. Her two Sabaku cousins sat further down, one above the other, they had stopped writing about ten minutes after Sora had. Zuzu was slightly annoyed. She knew Sora had done something, but exactly what she couldn't figure out.

Minato had copied Rei's answers, he had invented a jutsu in which he only needed to concentrate really hard on the person through whose eyes he'd like to see, Rei was the smartest in these exam things. The moment Minato had started writing, she had used her Sharingan and copied his hand movements.

Now they just waited for the last test. A good couple of teams had fallen out. Zuzu was starting to wonder who'd be left to fight in the last test. And that was only because they got caught cheating.

The last question had her confused for a moment, why would you go through a damn near impossible test, just to give up? It didn't make any sense at all.

She glanced at Sora for a fleeting moment. The question was meant to create a fear inside of you, to question yourself:

But can it have the same effect on you if you already question yourself?

Zuzu frowned slightly. She wasn't sure why the thought came up, why she seemed to think that Sora was afraid either of herself or questioning herself.


	19. Lie

**To all of you guys who have reviewed, I dedicate this chapter to you!**

**Enjoy**

* * *

Sora watched as Kazuki made dinner. The forest was dark and the electricity from her jutsu buzzed in a familiar tone around their camp. The second task wasn't as bad as the instructor had made it out to be.

They had gotten the Heaven scroll in the first ten minutes and now only had to find their ways back to the tower. It had long been a strategy between them. Kame set up camp. Kazuki worked on the feeding arrangements and she made sure security was unbreakable.

Kame slowly curled and uncurled her whips. Those were covered in jutsus of all sorts. She was excellent with those. Sora had seen her snap one of them against the ground and caused a neat little crack to run from her to the enemy and explode at the other end. But Kame has never killed before.

Kazuki preferred not using weapons. For a Suna-nin it was sort of odd to have a water affinity, but he always had a little bottle of it around him. She could never remember the names of his jutsus, but they packed a hard punch and worked and that was all that mattered.

"Zuzu thinks there's something wrong with you." Kame said suddenly, she looked straight at Sora.

Sora shrugged, her unguarded expression becoming stony and impenetrable. "Sabaku needs to keep her nose out of other people's business, I don't need her help." She said and dug around her backpack for her book.

"Zuzu's rarely wrong about such things." Kazuki said.

She glared at them. "Who knows me better? My teammates or a girl I can't stand the mere existence of?" She snapped.

They glanced at each other. "We don't know you, Sora." Kazuki said.

She sighed. "But you know me better than she does." She said. It was the truth and they couldn't deny it. They did know her better than Sabaku did (or that is what they think). Only because she had to allow them certain privileges as teammates, they had to know at least a little about her for them all to be able to work as a team. "Do you think I need help?" She asked.

Kazuki snorted. "No. You've never needed help with anything, why would you suddenly need help now?" She nodded.

"Exactly." The best thing in life was when people knew so little about you that they'd never know whether you lie to them or not.


	20. Match

**Not much, but this is a filler chapter, I assume. All the same, Enjoy.**

* * *

"Winner of Match one: Hiro Umino VS Ling – Hiro."

"Winner of Match two: Karura Uzumaki VS Minato Uzumaki – Minato."

"Winner of Match three: Izuzu Sabaku VS Kazuki Sabaku – Izuzu."

"Winner of Match four: Hana Inuzuka VS Levi Hyuuga – Levi."

"Winner of Match five: Kaiba Inuzuka VS Cho Akimichi – Kaiba."

"Winner of Match six: Akane VS Shiro Aburame – Akane."

"Winner of Match seven: Kame Sabaku VS Rei Sarutobi – Rei Sarutobi."

"Winner of Match eight: Mikoto Uchiha VS Shikaro Nara – Shikaro."

"Winner of Match nine: Hikaru Uchiha VS Kaido Rock – Kaido."

"Winner of Match ten: Mikari Hyuuga VS Sora Hatake – Sora."

Naruto studied the charts from the last test. Sasuke hadn't been too happy about the fact that neither his children had gotten into the last exam. Ino on the other hand was just extremely happy that they got as far as they did.

Naruto admitted, he had thought that at least one Uchiha would pass into the next round.

Naruto tapped his finger against the two names he had paired together. Ten kids, five fights and this was the only fight he wanted to see with no exception. He was going to have a few pissed off parents (two pairs) on his ass afterwards, but this was the right choice, he just knew it.

He wasn't as blind as everyone thought he was.


	21. Game

**I dedicate this chapter to everyone who has reviewed to this story. Thank you so very much!**

**Enjoy**

* * *

Zuzu stared at her uncle as he declared that Sora would be her opponent. She could almost not contain her excitement. Some would call it slightly insane (that's a lie) to be excited about facing Wind's number one rookie after recent news of her killing seven S-ranked criminals on her own.

Not that Zuzu got why people were still called S-rank criminals. Those that she has heard of had none been any worse than the Akatsuki, or maybe that was why they were S-rank criminals. You couldn't get a higher class and no one was worse.

Zuzu glanced at Sora. There was a cold dark smirk on the girl's face and she was looking right at Zuzu. For a minute Zuzu couldn't tell what that meant, but it struck her pretty easily a second later. Sora was going to put her in so much pain, that she wouldn't have time to think about helping her. Zuzu returned the smirk. Then she'll just put Sora in so much pain that she'll have to admit to help.

The game was finally on.


	22. Giving Up

**Enjoy**

* * *

They both shot their arms out into punches, skidding back around ten feet from where they had connected. Zuzu unclenched her hand and shook it, and then clenched it again. Sora spat blood from her mouth and did the same with her hand.

The fight had started maybe two hours ago, but neither of them was giving up. Naruto was starting to wonder if this had been such a good idea. Both of them looked like hell. The arena had also taken quiet the brunt of it all. The trees were flattened, there was a hole in the arena wall and Sora's pink and silver hair was dusty.

They had cuts and bruises all over their bodies. But their fight had been hand-to-hand for two hours straight. No poisons from Zuzu and no electricity from Sora.

But even Naruto could tell that they were slowly starting to loose their patience with each other. Sora looked murderous, like this was a game that had started to loose it's interested and turned into a fight. Zuzu looked determined and for the first time Naruto wondered if his niece's attitude wouldn't get her killed. "I'm not giving up." Zuzu said shifting her body into a better fighting stance.

Sora narrowed her eyes at her. "Then I'm making you give up." She snapped. She worked faster than anything Naruto had ever seen. Even Zuzu kept standing still, watching her, curious about what she was going to do.

Kakashi wasn't that curious. Naruto didn't know at what seal she was, but he jumped over the rail, landed and grabbed her wrists, parting them so she couldn't finish her seals. "The fight's over." He said. His voice didn't sound as monotone as always, but Sora seemed to sag and sadden the moment he touched her. Genma looked at Kakashi, then at the blonde hair kage and declared the fight a draw.

Sora didn't wait to hear whether she made Genin or not.


	23. How

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Four years later:_

Zuzu watched as Sakura helped out at the hospital. She was there only because of a sprained wrist she got on her last mission. The jounin couldn't quiet remember when Sakura came back to Konoha, but she's only been back for a couple of years now.

Sora wasn't. She never did come back. She of course had made chuunin and four months later she was jounin, but she never came back. Her father had said that she made ANBU about a year after she made jounin.

If Zuzu didn't have it wrong, Sora would be sixteen next month. While she didn't exactly make jounin the same year as Sora, she did make it a year later. And she'd been trying to figure out what was wrong with Sora for four years, but it was a waste of time.

Sora was never in Suna when she went to visit her father. She never came to Konoha to visit her parents. Sora had gotten what she wanted. No way for Zuzu to help her. When Sora left the day after they made genin Uncle Naruto said: "Sometimes, Zuzu, it's those who think they don't need help, that needs it the most. You just have to show that you're persistent and stupid enough to want to help them."

She still didn't know how you helped someone who could most possibly kill you if you didn't back off like they wanted.


	24. Grown Up

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Naruto smirked at Gaara. So maybe the little surprise wasn't exactly appreciated, but Naruto needed a break. He's been Hokage for sixteen years now and it was slowly taking its toll, especially if it was taken into affect that he hasn't had a break once.

Kakashi and Sai had been assigned as his guards and therefore needed to come with him. And Sakura had come along to visit her daughter.

He was about to tell Gaara all of this when the door was thrown open. The pink haired girl was easily recognized. Her pink hair dipped in silver made her a beacon for knowing who she was. The dark eyes were as cold stone. Her clothes were in tatters, and two men stood behind her, they looked just as royally pissed off as she did.

"I swear, you better not have known." She snapped at Gaara. She was grownup. She was still small, had much of Sakura's build on her, but she was a beautiful girl. Where Zuzu turned her beauty into spunk, Sora turned hers into elegance.

Gaara frowned at her in confusion, immediately sitting down behind his desk and looking for the files of her last mission. "Known about what?"

"He was fucking Akatsuki!" She snapped. "I sent six of my men in there and I let them die, because we weren't informed about who the hell we were fighting!" She snapped.

"Calm down, Sora." Sakura said.

Dark eyes snapped to her. "I don't care whether you think it's time to have a family vacation, Gaara-sama, but thanks to your incompetence, I now have to go inform six families that the men they look up to won't be coming home anymore." She spun around and walked out, the two men saluted Gaara. Naruto wasn't sure whether they were mocking him or not, but they left after her.

Sora Hatake definitely grew up.


	25. Runner

**Enjoy**

* * *

Zuzu wasn't sure why she was still awake.

But as she stood atop the cliff, gazing down into the valley below she realized that it was a good thing she was awake. Sora was pretending to be strong, but it seemed like even the dark inside of her, the dark she was running from was catching up to her.

Her broken sobs echoed across the valley. If anything, Sora was a good strategist; no one was going to find her here. No one was going to look for her, at least not in a couple more days. No one was going to do that because she has set a routine, she'd disappear for a couple of days after a failed mission and then come back.

She couldn't run forever. Zuzu knew that, and when she finally realized that she was going to crack. Zuzu had seen a shinobi crack before. It had been a man who had been in class with Uncles Naruto and Sasuke. They were still looking for the parts of his teammates he had cut up and thrown around the forest.

Zuzu had to admit. Sora was a fast runner.


	26. Pretending

**I can finally update! I've been trying since Friday! **

**Sorry for the delay, it was no fault of my own, I swear. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Her body was tired. Her mind was tired. She was tired. But if she got tired, if she let her guard down, he'll be back and that was something she didn't want. Something she couldn't want. Something that she couldn't allow to happen, if it happened she didn't know what she'd do.

She has worked far too hard to allow him to come back. She couldn't allow him to come back. She couldn't allow things to go to pot. She…

She froze. A soft thud alerted her of a presence she should've noticed earlier. A familiar spark of chakra, but concealed. A shinobi, well-trained most likely a jou- "What do you want, Sabaku?" She asked in a soft and tired voice.

There was silence for a moment. The older girl didn't answer. Sora just gazed at the sky and wrapped her arms tighter around her legs. "What I want is to be as strong if not stronger than you. But that just doesn't seem to happen." She finally answered.

Sora almost laughed. Strong? The girl deemed her strong? She was bloody weak. She walked into a trap. She allowed her teammates to die. She was hiding from her own mind, pretending that she could handle herself better than anyone else. She was pretending that she wasn't afraid or weak.

She was pretending to be something she wasn't.


	27. Crush

**There seems to be something wrong with the review reply thing now. Sigh.**

**To awesome-leaf-kunoichi: Almost, not just yet. But almost. **

**To mwto: Not the ninja world, something worse. She's used to the ninja world's horrors. **

**Now, do Enjoy!**

* * *

Zuzu hadn't expected her to come back after she left the younger girl. She had sat through dinner when Sora walked in. She looked as tired and broken as before and for the first time in four years it seemed like the people around her noticed. "What happened to you?" Minato said shocked.

Sora studied him for a moment. "I happened to me." She muttered and walked away. Her words struck Zuzu as odd. What did she mean? She happened to herself?

"I told you." Zuzu said after a while. "I told you a couple of years back, three if I was correct, that something is wrong with her. But you didn't listen."

Minato sighed. "There is nothing wrong with Sora. She's just tired. Her men died, Zuzu, God, have some respect!" He snapped and got up. Zuzu got the idea that her cousin might have a crush on the ice princess.


	28. Missing

**Enjoy**

* * *

Sora had gone missing.

The statement alone seemed rather ludicrous. Why would Sora, not only the best rookie in nearly seventeen years of Wind's history but also the youngest ANBU captain in the history of ninjas go missing? She was the daughter of Kakashi Hatake. Sharingan Kakashi. Why would she suddenly disappear?

She's got everything. Money. Power. Fame. Everything anyone could ever want. But why would she go missing?

Zuzu didn't know. But she sure as hell intended on making it a national threat to find out.


	29. Them

**The trouble enters. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Sora watched the bubbling creek for a moment.

She could sense him. She knew he was there. All of them were, but she sensed him best. She hated him most.

She was sure that by now Suna has realized something was wrong. After all, Sora Hatake couldn't just disappear like that. She was sure that Sabaku was already telling everyone she was right.

She cringed mentally when she realized that she wanted Sabaku to be worried. She wanted Sabaku to find away to bring her back. Or maybe she wanted Uzumaki to do that. She didn't know. She wondered if it was normal to think about a boy when one was in a situation such as hers. She was sure it wasn't normal.

A soft, yet some how calloused hands went down her bare arms. She stiffened, she became as rigid as a statue.

"Hallo my dear."


	30. Die

**Enjoy**

* * *

"We missed you." He continued to whisper.

She should've ran screaming the first time she met him. For a man who was supposed to just be mellow about most things he was a sadistic bastard. She hated him.

She didn't know how he did it. How he got inside of her head. She didn't know what sort of jutsu he used to try and control her, but she wanted him out of her head.

"Go to hell." She murmured.

He laughed and she cringed. The sound coursed through her, freezing up the blood in her veins. "I have been to hell, but I am back now." He murmured in her ear. She heard the rest of them chuckle. "I'm back now and you should be helping me achieve what I want. But that little stunt you pulled four years back. That little stunt set me back a little." He whispered harshly.

He spun her around and forced her to look into harsh black eyes. "You will not disobey me." He snapped.

She almost smirked. She knew he was going to punish her anyway. The scrolls those men had wanted to steal so long ago had been his ticket to Suna. She had taken that away from him. "The little baby." She whispered bravely. She bridged her own fear on the account that she was going to be punished anyway. "The poor baby couldn't play with his itty bitty rattle." She wondered how he did it. How a man of his age could look like he was no older than twenty-one. She assumed it had something to do with him dying around that age.

She pushed a lock of his black hair behind his ear. "How sad, how sad that the little boy didn't get what he wanted." She whispered softly. Sora couldn't help but wonder what her fascination was with this man.

The sound of a slap cracked across the air. "How dare you think you can speak to me like that?" He snapped. She could feel her skin burn where he slapped her.

She couldn't help but wonder what her fascination was with annoying him as well. She wondered: did she want to die?


	31. Itachi

**Enjoy**

* * *

Zuzu's hand closed in a fist and a second later a crack travelled through the canyon. Sora had moved out of the Sabaku compound the moment she gained ANBU captain status and went to live deep within the canyon. The only time she was at the compound was during times her parents came to visit her.

As everything with Sora the place was squeaky clean. There wasn't even a speck of dust under the bed. Zuzu – however – wasn't fooled, even Sora would've made the mistake of familiar comfort in her own home. That was just rule. There had to be something, a little bit of evidence that could be used in finding her.

Zuzu stalked back inside, halfway down the hall she stopped and turned around. She slowly walked back to the living room and looked at the books in the bookcase. There were books of all kinds, but one attracted her attention best.

It was a Bingo book. It was the same sort that was used by hunter-nins. Sora wasn't a hunter-nin and the date of the black cover was way out. It was the Bingo book of maybe when her dad was a maybe twelve or so, or younger. Maybe when he was six, she'd have to check with him.

She pulled the black bound book away and flipped it open to the page with the bookmark in. Her blood froze in her veins. Her breathing became short and her thoughts tangled into one stream. So many questions flew into her head.

How did Sora know Uncle Itachi?


	32. Missed

**Enjoy.**

**This goes especially to awesome-leaf-kunoichi. I hope it cheers you up!**

* * *

It was hard to realize that a child saw things better, quicker than they had. Even Naruto admitted that he hadn't thought much of Sora's dark silence. He had just assumed that was the way his goddaughter was. The way she wanted to be. Kakashi had once said that she reminded him of himself as a child. That had been hard to believe.

How does a friend, a Kage, a confident miss something like this? How did her own parents or teammates not notice anything?

Naruto sighed as he gazed at the living room of the cottage. The one single haunting question built up in him.

How did _he_ miss the changes in her?

He had gone through so many changes himself. He of all people should've seen it coming. Yet he didn't. What sort of Kage did that make him?

How had he missed this?


	33. Defect

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Shikaro gazed at the girl.

A couple of days ago he had been sent a hawk, letter tied to it's leg demanding that he be on the look out for Sora.

Today she stands before him.

In all consideration, he assumed this was best. That meant there was no reason to look too hard for her. She studied him. If he wasn't mistaken there wasn't a pleasing glint to her eyes. A deep pained look, she was asking (begging) for help. What sort of help he didn't know.

The buzz of electricity around him did give him somewhat of an idea about how much trouble he was in. Sora wasn't considered the youngest ANBU captain of their time for no reason.

"You didn't defect, did you?" He asked casually.

She raised her brows at him. "Not yet." The way she said it made him think that she didn't want to. "I don't have much of a choice." She said with a wry smile. "See you around, Shika."

Shikaro stared at her. That was the first time she used the abbreviated version of his name. Electricity coursed through him a moment later. Not enough to kill him, just enough to knock him out.


	34. Pathetic

**Enjoy!**

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Sora cringed at the sight before her. Shika had been right. They were going to use her against those she loved, and she was going to have to fight them. Itachi was making it impossible to deny him.

The only way out was dying. That's the only light she could see. The only way to make him stop, it was the only way to stop herself from hurting those she loved.

Zuzu stood right at the front, her pale teal eyes flashing with anger. "I took you for a lot of things, Hatake. But a traitor was never one of them." She snapped harshly. "Is this what had been bothering you all this time?"

Sora wanted to say no. But couldn't. She hadn't betrayed her country. It was only treachery if she killed someone important within the country or took important scrolls to the enemy.

She glared at the Sabaku brat. For now, to keep Shikaro alive, she needed to pretend. "And what's it to you, I told you I don't need your help." She answered just as harshly.

Zuzu spat in front of her feet. Sora knew what it meant, even if they were standing nearly a kilometre apart. "You are pathetic."


	35. Fight

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Zuzu ducked from another punch.

Somehow she had been chosen by unanimous choice that she'd be the one to fight Sora. The results so far weren't very nice. Apart from a dark bruise blooming over her jaw, Sora didn't look like she was in any pain.

Zuzu could taste blood in her mouth. She flashed out a kick and nearly held a party when she landed a kick to Sora's stomach. The girl stumbled back.

They fought hard and powerfully. Sora's punches were strong and straight to the point. Zuzu's were quick and painful. Weapons weren't touch, there just wasn't time to draw weapons or fly through seals for jutsus. Trees came into view as they forced each other into the woods and away from the clearing where the others were dealing with Itachi and Sasori.

A last punch and a hard kick form Zuzu and Sora sat on her ass. Zuzu sat down on her, surprised when she didn't even try to get her off.

"Just kill me and get it over with." Sora muttered.


	36. Over

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Zuzu got up from the girl and glared down at her. "You loose Sora. I win. It's over." How dare she betray her country? How dare she betray her family and Kage?

Sora laughed, softly at first, softly but then loudly and hysterical. Tears slipped from her face and Zuzu couldn't help be shocked. She had never seen this sort of pain on Sora, on anyone. She felt her heart clench. She felt pain build up inside of her and she wanted nothing more but to comfort Sora.

"Over! Over, that's a joke! It's never over!" She screamed suddenly. "I'll always be me. I'd rather die a traitor than know _I_ allowed someone to CONTROL me!" She screamed. "I'm Sora Hatake, no one controls me!"

It slammed into Zuzu like a peri-peri dish at the Akimichi restaurant. Sora had never really betrayed her country or Kage. She had wanted her freedom. She had wanted to be who she was without the help form anyone. She wanted to be free from whatever reign Itachi had over her.

For Sora it wasn't over until whatever was controlling her was broken.


	37. Comfort

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* * *

Sora sat quietly in the prison cell.

She felt like the scum she caught. She didn't know whether she deserved it or not. She wasn't sure she did. Not, at least, after she explained the problem. She still heard him. In her head. She still heard Sasori commanding her to do things.

No one knew how they came back. Just that they did and that somehow they had gotten a hold of her. Sora didn't want to talk about it. What did it matter anyway? She'd forever be known as the youngest ANBU captain to betray her country. She'd always have a reputation now.

She couldn't say that the last month had been too bad. Minato often visited, with the funniest stories and various foods he thought she needed. Shikaro would visit once in a while and Zuzu came as often as she could.

Sora didn't say they were friends. It was more a relationship of comfort. Zuzu would sit in the cell with her for a few hours and leave, but never once would words be traded.

She was a pillar of comfort.


	38. Obligated

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Kakashi watched as his daughter entered the room. She stood pin straight. A powerful air of elegance and pride blanketed her. She made no move to say anything. She wasn't going to beg. And she wasn't going to plead. The outcome of the case was now solely dependant on her answers and then Gaara's ruling.

It had surprised him when Zuzu demanded that Gaara oversee the case himself.

"Sora Hatake, that is your name?"

"Yes." Kakashi wasn't sure he wanted to be present for this hearing. He couldn't predict the outcome.

"The first deaths at your hand were men from Itachi and Sasori's payroll, is that correct?"

"Yes." Why was she agreeing? Kakashi wanted her to deny all of it. He wanted her to say that she had nothing to do with any of this.

"Were you involved in the stealing of those scrolls?"

She was silent for a little and gazed steadily at Gaara. "I honestly take it as an insult that _you_ would think I was involved in the stealing of sacred Suna scrolls." Her tone was cold and harsh. "The obvious answer to that is: no."

Gaara made no comment. "There were sixteen other attempts in the last four years, you have killed all of those men, were you involved?"

"Again, no."

"Then tell me this, and be honest Sora, why did you kidnap Shikaro Nara? Why would you imply that you betrayed your country if you didn't?"

"Because I didn't give them scrolls, I didn't give them secrets and I didn't kill anybody important, but still betrayed my country by allowing myself to be controlled. And that by known criminals." She answered. "They knew he was there. It was kidnap Nara or let him die. I chose te obvious first."

Gaara was silent for a long time again. "Very well, you are dismissed." Kakashi saw pain flash behind her eyes. Watched as her expectations for this case was crushed and felt the need to reach out to her. But he wasn't allowed. He was on the jury. Why he wasn't sure, but he couldn't choose between a country and his daughter. He felt obligated to both.

He felt obligated to hand her the freedom she wanted.

He felt obligated to hand her the punishment she deserved for her country.


	39. Happy

Karura studied her brother for a moment in silence. The younger didn't often show the emotion of sadness. To him everything was happy and bright and cheerful.

The thing with Sora was eating at him. He had such a big crush on her. She half felt sorry for him. She knew that if she said that though, he would never forgive her. He didn't like pity.

He liked pity as much as their father did. The best thing was to let him sort this out on his own. He'd soon be his happy cheery self. She was sure that everything would work out ok. No matter which way it went.


	40. Freedom

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Sora took a deep breath. The warm Suna air filled her lungs as she stood on the canyon wall. There were no voices in her head. There was nothing to tell her what to do anymore.

Her parents, and Kage had been quite unhappy about her retirement, but she figured it for the best. She didn't want the shinobi to feel uncomfortable around her. She didn't want them to wonder when she'd betray her country.

If they needed her, she'd come back, one day.

She smiled and listened to the wind skitter across the desert canyon. "Now what?" She jumped and turned to the voice.

Zuzu stood with her hands shoved into her jeans pocket. She had gone with long leg jean instead of her shorts. "We won't ever be friends, Sabaku. But I guess I can have some respect for you." She said slowly.

Zuzu laughed. "So you'll back me up but complain about it? Nice." She gazed out over the desert for a little while. "But I meant with you. What happens with you now?" She asked.

"I'm free now. I go where I want." Sora answered. "Maybe I'll even go on that date Minato wanted. I don't really know. I just know that I don't have any responsibilities for a while anymore. I'm as free as you get."

She grinned and breathed the air in again. She finally had her freedom back.


End file.
